With the holiday season festivities behind us, Tensator will be entering 2012 comfortable in the knowledge that our customers (and theirs) are having a happy ‘queue’ year…

By selecting Tensator as their queue management partner to provide a rewarding customer journey, companies all around the world representing sectors such as retail, transport, finance, public sector, and health & safety are reaping many rewards.

Tensator’s Electronic Queue Management Solutions help our customers to reduce the amount of time spent waiting in line by ensuring an efficient method in which customers are called to counters as and when they become free.

Making the most of our time in a queue is also an important element for our customers. The careful selection of products from our In-Queue Merchandising range allows the queue to be utilised to extend the shopping experience, right up until point of sale.

Customers are also finding that providing in-queue media information via our InQ-tv product range not only entertains their customers but also provides a valuable opportunity to continue to communicate marketing and promotional offers.

Finally, last year’s launch of Tensator’s Virtual Assistant, which can be used to direct, educate and promote has proven to be a valuable addition to many of our customer’s companies.

So, if you also want to make sure 2012 is a happy ‘queue’ year for you; speak to Tensator, the customer journey specialists, to make it happen.

How much are walk-aways costing your business?

In a recent survey carried out by Tensator 97% of people admitted to walking away from a queue. Did you know that we can deliver a 96% reduction in walk-aways?

We have a tool on our website which, with 3 easy pieces of information, can calculate in seconds the ROI your business could experience.

Tensator have helped numerous customers increase their revenues! Find out how you can join them here

Recent research shows that British Shoppers spent 155 days of their lives queuing while on shopping trips!

GMTV reported 47% of Brit have suffered “queue rage” while 21%  have admitted storming out of a shop after queuing for 3 minutes or less, demonstrating that the British public really due vote with their feet.

Queuing was voted, in the poll commissioned by TV Shopping channel QVC, to be the top shopping hate with 55% of votes, followed by unhelpful shopping assistants (39%) and busy stores (36%). 

At Tensator we can’t transform shopping assistants but we can help you to manage queuing customers and reduce waiting times, to eliminate the negative experience encountered by customers.  While at the same time increase sales revenue and reduce operating costs for the retailer.

To find out how Tensator can transform your queuing environment, call today on +44 (0) 1908 684600.

As the January sales are in full swing, shoppers are hunting for bargains and in some cases fighting for the best deals!

Even with a bargain in sight, customers get frustrated and agitated by long queues and poorly designed store layouts.  If shoppers are made to wait in confusing and unorganised queues, they will become more impatient, leading to longer waiting times, poor customer experiences and bad publicity.  Which in turn, could damage the likelihood of return visits, in preference to better organised retail competitors!

Good queue management can help retailers increase sales revenue and reduce costs and simultaneously eliminate the negative experience encountered by consumers.  Once this is managed, the retailer can look to increase sales by taking advantage of what is probably the most effective impulse location within the store, by using in-queue merchandising (IQM).

For more information, and to find out how your queue can work for you, call Tensator’s Retail Specialists on

+44 (0) 1908 684600.

Please note our last shipping day prior to Christmas will be Wednesday 16^th December, so please order prior to this date to ensure you receive your goods before Christmas.

The recently published “Global Retail Theft Barometer 2009” suggests that retail theft is on the rise, with the total value of stolen goods increasing by 20% to £4.88 billion in the year to June 2009.  Employee theft account for 36.4% , with an average loss of a staggering £1,595.66, compared to £80.31 for external thefts.

Tensator understands the impact that theft has on a retailer, and strongly believes that investing in a single line electronic call forward system can reduce a form of employee theft known as “sweethearting”.   Sweethearting involves a shopper taking a range of items to the cashier, who only scans the low-value items, or just one item of a multiple purchase, in order for their acquaintance, (most frequently a family member or friend), to receive higher-value goods at a discounted rate, or even for free. 

Implementing an effective single line queue management system, can prevent stock loss as the cashier choice is automatically random, so any attempt by a customer to give up their place in the queue to wait for a particular cashier to become available then appears more obvious.

The Centre for Retail Research has stated that the recession has caused a rise in “middle-class” shoplifters, stealing goods such as mobile phones, iPods, cameras, cosmetics, alcohol and fresh meat, in order to sustain their standard of living.

The retail industry has seen its largest ever increase in shoplifting over the last 12 months, and the UK had the largest amount in value of shoplifted goods in Europe.

Tensator also offer a effective, simple and low cost range of recoil cassettes which seek to achieve the balance between consumer access and temptation to a thief.  The recoil units can be attached to high value products on display, such as mobile phones, iPods and cosmetics, and securely fastened to the shelving unit.

Customers can then handle the product on show, but will not be able to remove it.  Instead they will ask the cashier for the product to purchase; eliminating the opportunity to steal the high value item.

As always, we like to hear your comments…

If you’re a retailer who has experienced an increase in employee or external theft then let us know!

What security measures have you invested in to combat theft?  Has it made an improvement?

If you want to find out more about Tensator’s retail solutions then please visit www.tensator.com, or call us today on

+44 (0) 1908 684600 to find out how we can help you.

Tensator’s UK General Manager, Kevin Hickson, has answered this question in depth in the current issue of Retail Week (4^th September 2009).  Hickson, recommends a number of solutions that can speed queue flow, capture shopper’s attention while waiting in the queue with the use of In-Queue Merchandising and also considers providing estimated wait times as an ideal way to reassure queuing customers.

One ideal way in which to speed up the queue without opening more tills is to try a single line call forward system, which can increase customer flow by 25%.  In a recent trial in one US store, there were 164 walk-aways from the tills in a week without such a system, and only 6 a week later after it was installed.

It is also suggested that retailers consider the position of their tills, moving them to the rear of the store, to prevent another trend – walk-on-bys - where the sight of a queue puts consumers off entering the store at all. 

To see the full Retail Surgery piece, check out Retail Week now!
For tailored advice on your store, please call us on +44 (0) 1908 684600

Prevent the spread of viruses in your establishment with Tensator’s innovative Hand Gel Station 

With the spread of H1N1 on the rise, promoting germ protection within your environment, whether to your employees, visitors or customers is a key concern.  Tensator’s Hand Gel Station is an ideal solution to help prevent the spread of H1N1 and other viruses in your environment, when utilised with Spirigel^® Alcohol Hand Gel. 
It’s a small price to pay to protect your customers and staff. 

Why use Spirigel^®?

• Spirigel^® is established as the hand disinfectant of choice in many hospitals
• Proven to be effective against H1N1, bird flu and other viruses
• The integral pump dispenser minimises the risk of cross-contamination
• An effective way of disinfecting and maintaining hand hygiene without the need to rinse with water 

Tensator’s Hand Gel Station can be used as a standalone dispenser solution or as a post package to create a sanitation area, guiding visitors towards the hand gel unit.

• Write down everything you need to do before you leave, so nothing is forgotten, from medical insurance and pet care, to booking extra leg room and organising car hire etc.
• Creating a check list of items for your suitcase will mean you won’t forget essentials like sun cream.
• Check your passports are up to date, and don’t hide it somewhere obscure so you can’t remember where you put it.
• Find out if you require visas for the destination well in advance.
• Make sure you have both sterling and foreign currency on you for any in-flight needs, and of course for a temporary visa at your destination airport if required.
• When travelling with the elderly or those with additional needs such as a wheelchair, pre-book assistance with your airline or tour operator.
• If travelling with children, ensure you have toys and books to keep them entertained during the whole of the journey.
• Save queuing time by checking-in online – this is usually 24 hours prior to your flight.
• If you are able to travel light, take hand luggage only so you don’t have to wait for your baggage at the other end - and remember to carry the correct liquid allowance.
• Arrive at the airport early to beat the queues and do any last-minute shopping if needed.
• Pay attention to the airport information screens where updates and announcements on your flight details will be posted.

In an attempt to combat alcohol driven violence Oldham Council have introduced a single line queuing system into bars that hold cheap drink promotions. 

Tonight’s Panorama: The Truth About Happy Hour, recreates Oldham Council rules during a drinks promotion night at a bar to see how it would work and how it would be received by customers.  The programme adopted the most extreme form the rules can take:  

• You can only buy a drink if you line up in a Post Office style queue with barriers to make sure there is an orderly single file.
• Dedicated door staff must supervise that queue, and no drinking is allowed in the queue.
• If you step out of the queue for any reason you must rejoin at the end of the queue.
• When you eventually get to the bar you are only allowed to buy two drinks.

Panorama then asked those queuing how they felt these restrictions would change their drinking experience.  
Responses included: 

"Do you want to spend 70% of your time in a queue? Well actually I want to sit down with my mates and have a chat, but if this is going to happen then you're going to spend all your time in a queue."  
"If you go into a certain bar and you know they had a queuing system then you wouldn't bother going - you'd go to somewhere where you wouldn't have to queue."   

However, you have to queue anyway, so would you rather stand at a bar, waiting to get served for hours, while people beside you come and go, beating you to the bartender? Or stand in a single line queuing system, where at least you know you are being served in the order in which you arrive at the bar.  There’s no pushing, shoving or unfair serving, in fact recent research by Tensator suggests that introducing a queue management system actually increases customer flow by 25%!!  So you’ll be back to join your friends in no time at all. 

What do you think? Would you welcome a post office style queuing system in your local?We welcome your opinions…   

Click here to see the full story on Panorama: The Truth About Happy Hour